Sixty miles west of Boston, Massachusetts there is the small New England town of Sturbridge. Located at the junction of I-90 (The Mass Pike), and I-84 it has become known as the "Crossroads of New England". The town was first settled over 300 years ago, and like other small New England towns it has grown just enough over the years to be in a difficult place today. How do we embrace the future without forgetting how we got to our present? How do we attract the right kind of growth, and maintain who we are? And, what about our culture out here in Central Massachusetts?

These pages will cause one to think about how to protect what we have, our future direction, and how to move on in the very best way.

Those thoughts, and other ramblings, will hopefully inspire more thought, conversation, action, and occasionally a smile...

...seems to be working so far

Sunday, August 29, 2010

So, That's What They're Doing

Well, I found the answer. Ever since last January I have been wondering whatever happened to the move the Pioneer Brewery was going to make from the Hyland Orchard to the old Basketville, and now I know.

Soon, we will have some suds to go with our subs at Subway in the Millyard.

A Central Massachusetts brewery with an eye toward expansion has had its “certified project” status revoked by the state Economic Assistance Coordinating Council.

Officially, certified status was revoked because Pioneer did not submit an annual report for 2009 to the EACC.

Basket Case

But that’s because the brewery was using the state’s Economic Development Incentive Program on a project to purchase and refurbish the former Basketville building at 413-419 Main St. in Sturbridge, an effort the brewery has abandoned, according to Jean Bubon, Sturbridge town planner.

Pioneer Brewing is located in the Fiskdale section of Sturbridge on the grounds of Hyland Orchard, but has planned to move away from the orchard since late last year.

Under the EDIP, businesses can take advantage of local real estate tax forgiveness, and an investment tax credit from the state in exchange for job creation and expansion.

Companies that run afoul of the little-used program generally do so by not living up to job creation numbers or failing to submit annual reports.

Pioneer was going to pay about $600,000 for the 12,000-square-foot former Basketville building, but it was going to cost almost another $600,000 to renovate.

The building has been vacant for about three years and has fallen into disrepair, Bubon said.

Instead of taking on that project, the brewery has signed a lease to move into 15,000 square feet at the Millyard Marketplace shopping center, at 559 Main St. Bubon said the move could happen in September, and “the investment they’re going to have to make in the building is minimal.”

Bubon said the brewery has been looking to move from the orchard to a location in the town’s commercial and tourist district for months.

Late last year, it was reported that Pioneer was moving from Hyland Orchard to Main Street and that Chris Damon, the orchard’s owner, would run a separate brewery at the orchard.

That move was supposed to happen in March, allowing Damon to brew beer under the Hyland name, a practice that was discontinued under Pioneer management."